At Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards, they have a motto: Family, friends, food and fun.

That’s what the Harrow-based winery’s staff will be bringing to the annual London Wine and Food Show at Western Fair District’s Agriplex Thursday through Saturday.

“That’s what wine should be about,” said founder and owner Tom O’Brien, who has been to the show several times since the winery began producing in 2010.

“For us, the London Wine and Food Show is wonderful, because it’s about more than just wine and we see it as a huge promotional event that gets us in front of a lot of people who want to have a good time and drink some good wine.”

The show has been annually drawing more than 15,000 visitors who buy tickets to taste the wines and culinary delights from dozens of wineries, some breweries and several restaurants while having a chance to watch cooking demonstrations on the Fanshawe Culinary Stage, which this year will also feature entertainment by students of Fanshawe College’s Music Industry Arts program.

The show opens with Connoisseur Thursday, described as the “tastiest” day of the show for foodies with tastings, pairings and demonstrations.

Friday is Ladies’ Night, which draws thousands of women for a Firefighter Fashion Show supported by Sophie’s Gown Shoppe and Collins Formal Wear along with the tastings.

Saturday has been divided into two separate events with the regular tastings and demonstrations through the afternoon before closing at 4:30 p.m. and reopening for the night crowd at 6 p.m.

Rob Lumsden, Western Fair District’s director of shows and events, said foodies and wine lovers return each year for “the experience.”

“It’s rare in London that you come in here and experience such culinary delights,” Lumsden said.

“They come back because they can try things they haven’t tried before and be entertained at the same time. We think the entertainment this year will be a key draw. We want people to be entertained wherever they are in the show.”

Among the entertainers on the main stage are Jacob & The Blues Busters with some Motown, R&B, classic rock and blues; master comic juggler Craig Douglas; singer Jenn Lyons; singer-songwriting duo Buck Twenty featuring Mike Ure and Aidan Johnson-Bujold; and Saturday in the Country Western Lounge, Karen Emeny in the afternoon and Justine Chantale in the evening.

Demonstrations scheduled over the three days on the Fanshawe Culinary Stage include:

Friday: How to butcher a whole chicken, Braised Lamb Shank, Sage Rissoto and Honey Roasted Root Vegetables, Chardonnay Tart, How to Make a Seafood Platter, Canadian Beer Tasting and music by Patrick Brown and Willem Cowan.

Cooper’s Hawk is one of the province’s newer wineries, but also fast-growing. From their first successful growing season in 2010, they are now producing more than 7,500 cases of wine each year with a lineup of more than two dozen varieties, from sweet reds to light whites and a new sparkling added this year, North Block Sparkling.

Cooper’s Hawk sales manager, Barb De Jonge, a certified master taster, said there are a few general rules in pairing wines with foods people can follow.

For instance, Bourbon Street Cajun and Creole Kitchen in London will be at the show for the first time offering tastes of its acclaimed Cajun jambalaya. De Jonge suggested a Cooper’s Hawk Gewurztraminer.

“It’s perfect for the spicy foods like jambalaya,” said De Jonge.

“The sugar calms the spices down, but if you go with something that’s got high alcohol it’s going to crank up heat and ruin the flavour of the dish.”

The vineyard will feature several wines at the show, including its new North Block Sparkling, which taps into a growing trend among wine lovers and foodies.

Bourbon Street has become a fixture on London’s food scene since opening in 2015 on Oxford Street just west of Adelaide Street. Owner and chef Dominic (Mike) Raso recently revamped the restaurant’s menu (it’s 90 per cent gluten free), developing and expanding his Cajun eats with additions such as Cajun Mac ’n Cheese and a Taste of N’awleans Platter that includes shrimp, crawfish etouffee, fried oysters and catfish.

“I thought we should get in there and get a little more exposure,” said Raso, who has been offering a Cajun style menu at his restaurants out west and here for close to two decades.

“Everything’s been going uphill since we opened and we’re doing really well. We’ve been bringing in live jazz bands every second Saturday that customers seem to love. We’re ecstatic about joining the show. We don’t know what to expect, but we’re excited, for sure.”